predation management

I have a few questions. I have built this cattle panel chicken tractor for the meat chickens and will be the layers run when meat is done. Finishing up on it today. It’s 3 cattle panels, 2x4 (6 and 12foot long, so decently heavy). The front 2/3 is 1/4 hardwire and the back portion (which will...

I'm posting this for advice but also just to lament the loss of my Prairie Bluebell and Production Red. I did not know how absolutely devastated I would be. The red especially (named Red aka the Colonel) was the sweetest bird. She would run up and greet my husband when he got home from work. She...

Hello all. Long time no post here. Just lost my first pullet in a while to what clearly was a predator. Body is completely gone, no blood, only scattered and clearly torn out feathers left in her place. According to my dad he heard squawking last night, but he only told me this afternoon-ish...

It is your job to protect your flock from predators. While it is extremely sad to loose pets to wildlife the answer is not removing the wild animal that is just acting naturally, it is to modify your behavior to prevent future issues. Don't trap and kill that raccoon (or worse dump it...

Hi! I'm asking this question in a few different places hoping to get some advice! Something has been picking off my guinea fowl one by one. It's always during the day, it's always near the treeline, and it's always In a completely different spot on our property. The places they are getting...

Hi all — I know there’s lots of threads discussing automatic doors, but I’ve done a lot of searching and haven’t found quite the info I’m looking for. I’m getting chicks in April (they will start in a brooder indoors), so I am in the process of finishing my coop for the summer, and I would...

So I’m in the market for a dog that won’t eat my chickens, I’ve been looking at livestock protectors but they are pretty pricey when you get into the larger purebreds. I’ve been looking at mixes like Shollies and purebreds like Akbash but I don’t know what’s the right fit. The chickens have a...

Anyone know where to find a good deal on hardware cloth? I don’t care about how tall it is (i’ll be using it to cover some gaps) but I need a 50’ long roll and 20 gauge and under. I’ve checked Lowe’s, Home Depot, Amazon but it’s all at least $100!

Hello, we have birds in Salatin-style tractors. We've been losing birds left & right (80 so far 😣). We thought it had to be a 4-legged predator and were setting traps accordingly, but finally figured out it was the ravens by witnessing their methods with our own eyes. They go out in the morning...

Hello!! So I have two new little chicks I got from Atwoods, and I was wondering if a 10yo Siberian Husky would be able to be trained not to eat them? He’s done fairly well around them, very polite, sniffs eagerly with the little tail wag. However every time he sees them he always licks his...

I have two wonderful Pekin ducks and my dad came up with the idea of using tomato cages to deter flying predators with. I thought the idea was a good one and my ducks love having the extra protection

Good Morning soldiers, We are at war! Just yesterday we lost a bird to a hawk. We have always had hawks around our place, but they have never been interested in our flock until now. Within the past two weeks, the amount of them has nearly doubled, and two days ago I saw two of them perched in a...

Hey Guys, I'd love some input here. I am planning on free ranging our 8 ducks out in our pasture along with our two geese. However, we're in the PNW and we have a lot of eagles. I have 4' electrified poultry netting to protect against our ground predators (mostly coyotes - and they're are safely...

We are newbie chicken owners that live in an urban area and are finishing up repairing, reinforcing, and painting a coop with attached run we bought off someone who had built it themselves. It’s quite sturdy and has a shingled roof over the whole thing (picture below in the previous owners yard...

Hey everyone! New chicks 🐣 on the block. Raising our first backyard chickens, Speckle Sussex breed, names are Poppy & Nugget. Cutest little things and have such big personalities! They turn a week old tomorrow. Bought this chicken coop (demensions are 36.02” x 17.76” x 27.56”). I know it’s...

I just started a new job at a local pasture raised chicken farm. Our mission at Alcove Farms is to sow, grow, and restore. We pasture raise cattle and about 3,000 organically fed laying hens on 160 acres. We sell our eggs at the local grocery stores and farmer’s markets. We have been having...

My coop and run have 1/4 inch hardware cloth completely surrounding every bit of it and a metal roof. I have 1/2 inch hardware skirting underground. Two different neighbors lost whole flocks in the last month. They are thinking coyotes. My whole acre yard is fenced. I want to add another layer...

Hi All, I just read an article in the November issue of Out Here that discusses the use of Guard Llamas that could be an effective means in keeping small animals safe from predators. My curiosity was piqued because I had never heard about this method of predation management. The article...